POLIRIZED ATTITUDE OBSERVED TOWARDS SERGE SARGSIAN AND LEVON TER-PETROSIAN DURING PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN

Noyan Tapan
Feb 6, 2008

YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 6, NOYAN TAPAN. The campaign of the candidates
running for the post of the RA President has essentially been equally
covered during the period between January 21-30 by the 8 TV companies
of Armenia: "H1", "ALM", "Armenia", "H2", "Yerkir Media", "Kentron",
and "Shant". This statement was made by Boris Navasardian, the Chairman
of the Yerevan Press Club, at the press conference held on February 6,
introducing the results of the second stage of the observation of the
coverage of the presidential elections being held by them. According
to him, most of all Prime Mininster Serge Sargsian was covered
during the above-mentioned period (29 442 seconds), and least of
all Aram Haroutiunian, the Chairman of the National Agreement party
(12 720 seconds).

Boris Navasardian mentioned that except "Yerkir Media", a polirized
attitude is observed towards Serge Sargsian and Levon Ter-Petrosian
and a proportional impartiality towards the other candidates in the
materials broadcast by the other TV channels. Thus, 93 out of the
99 mentionings dedicated to the Prime Mininster were positive and 6
negative, as regards Levon Ter-Petrosian, there were 72 negative and
no positive mentionings.

Moreover, according to the Chairman of the Yerevan Press Club,
particularly two public TV channels are striking with partiality. He
mentioned that the "Kentron" TV Channel, in particular, arrests one’s
attention with its negative coverages dedicated to the first President
of the Republic of Armenia. All this allows Boris Navasardian to
assume that, at present, the political struggle is sharper than it
was during the parliamentary elecions.

According to the results of the observation, the index of the
participation of the presidential candidates in the debating programs
of mass media is still low, which is conditioned by the circumstance
that they are not so much ready for a public dialogue.